


After Every Storm There's Sunshine

by Anonymous



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Angst, Depression, Gangs, Homelessness, M/M, Separation Anxiety, Strangers to Lovers, i hate tagging bye
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-01-02 04:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21155447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: His gang left him, knowing he has nobody else in his life.





	1. a broken promise

**Author's Note:**

> chapter one of many! i hope you all enjoy!
> 
> all mistakes are mine

Nolan's life is a mess. First of all, his gang left him, knowing he has absolutely nobody in his life. When he was eleven years old, his parents abandoned him, so his gang was like a second family to him. They took him under their wing and continued to for another eight years. They all lived in Joey's apartment, having to sleep on the floor and share beds sometimes. Joey was the oldest, and like the dad of everyone; he always looked out for the gang. He was ten years older than Nolan, and Nolan always looked up to him. But that all changed last month.

He woke up on Joey's apartment floor, just to see that he was all alone. The gang usually leaves whenever they feel like, but they will either tell Nolan ahead of time or leave a note on the door saying they're getting drugs or jumping people without him. Who knows.

But this time, there was no note or notice that they would be leaving in the morning. So, he figured they would be back pretty soon. He tucked himself back under the worn down blanket and fell back asleep.

But that wasn't the case. Nolan woke up again at noon, just to see the vacant apartment living room. He began to get up and wander around the small room to investigate more, and he later realized that the only belongings in the room were his. Everyone's shirts, pants, shoes, drugs, or whatever else they owned wasn't in there. That's when the realization hit him: they left him.

He immediately put his face in his hands and broke down. He trusted them, he looked up to them and relied on them for crying out loud. Now, for the second time in his life, he has nobody again.

He slapped himself in the face a couple of times to make sure he wasn't dreaming, which he wasn't.

So here he is now, his home being on a new street every day. He stayed in Joey's apartment for a couple of days, until the owner of the apartment complex came and said that he has to leave.

He hasn't seen his gang, well, it's not his anymore, ever since. He never had a chance to thank them for helping him, thank them for making memories with him, and most importantly, ask why. Nolan has no idea what he has done for this to happen.

He hasn't showered, had a clean pair of clothes to wear or have a decent meal in forever. He's been having to rely on the fortunate people driving up and down the streets for food. He's desperate. He broke into someone's house one night to get food because he had to. The hoodie that fit him just right about a month ago is now massive on him. He's frail and fragile.

All he got today was half of a breakfast sandwich from a driver heading to work and $1.27. He's going back to one of his original spots to sleep tonight, which is super risky, but he doesn't know any other spots. Philly can be dangerous.

He climbed over the person's mossy fence and snuck into the garage. He hid behind the same three boxes like he did before, and fell asleep under the dusty shelf and shovel.

\----------

He started his everyday journey back to the busiest street in town, sitting with an old coffee cup and a cardboard sign, reading "please help me. I have no home or money."

Winter was approaching, and his oversized hoodie and sweatpants weren't doing too much.

He sat there and counted all the cars that went by.

"10..11..12.."

The only thing he really finds fun now is counting cars, or predicting the color of the next car before it comes. He has nobody to talk to or hang out with, and he's terrified of getting beat up by another gang. He put his hood up and held his sign up a little better.

"83..84..85.."

\----------

He was in the middle of eating a bag of Doritos a nice lady gave him when he heard talking and laughter in the distance. He would usually ignore it, but it was a gang. Walking towards him.

He left everything behind and took off.

"Hey kid! Wait!"

He turned around to see ten, maybe fifteen guys chasing after him. He couldn't see their faces, but his first and only thought was that they were going to beat him up or jump him. The thought of them trying to help him didn't cross his mind once.

He kept going, just to trip over something and fall on the rigid sidewalk. Great move Nolan.

He tried getting up, but by the time he turned around, the gang found him.

"P-please don't hurt me I-I'll do anything-" Nolan instantly said, covering his head and staying on the ground.

He then felt a large, warm hand on his shoulder. It startled him, making him jump a mile.

"Hey, relax buddy. It's alright." One of the guys said, which still made Nolan suspicious. He sounded sincere, but you can't be soft and gullible here.

"Can you sit up for me? I promise I won't hurt you." He continued, slowly rubbing his hand on Nolan's back. Then a flashback hit him:

...

It was about a year since Joey's gang took Nolan in. Himself, Joey, and all the others were all sitting in the apartment when one of the guys asked Nolan what his life was like before. He was twelve years old when this happened.

It took him a while, but he told them his story. All the guys felt bad for him and showed sympathy, but Joey said to him:

"I promise we won't leave you like your parents did." Followed by all the guys agreeing.

They promised they wouldn't leave him, but they did. And that will haunt Nolan forever.

...

He was snapped back into reality with a "bud" and being shaken a little.

By now he was shaking, crying, and as scared as a human can be.

But he sat up, to see a bunch of guys crowded around him. He went to get up and take off but the man held him down.

"Hey hey hey. Easy." He said gripping Nolan's shoulders, rubbing his hand up and down Nolan's left arm.

Nolan gave in finally and began to calm down, pulling his knees to his chest and controlling his breathing.

"What's a kid like you doing out here on the streets alone?" He asked him, his hands still on Nolan's shoulders.

He wanted to answer, but he was still afraid of these guys. He kept his mouth shut.

"Okay. How about you come home with us and talk then? I promise you we won't hurt you bud." He said, standing up and putting his hand out.

It took a lot of thought, but Nolan took his hand.


	2. a clean slate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally forced myself to get chapter two out early!! this is a little messy, and i apologize.
> 
> once again, all mistakes are mine

He followed the gang to the man who talked to him's apartment, where he didn't open his mouth once. Some other members of the gang, who looked super mean and scary, were telling him how they're only here to help him. He wanted to believe them, but he didn't want to believe them and end up getting lied to.

The man who he trusted the most as of right now made him walk in front of everyone. He picked up on the other guys calling him "G," and that's all he knows about him.

He has dark orange hair, with a tough, thick ginger beard. He has freckles, dark blue eyes, and broad shoulders. He's shorter than Nolan, but not that short. He's also super good looking, but looks mean and serious. However, Nolan is starting to believe he's trying to help him.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when "G" started talking to him.

"So, what's your name kid?" He asked, walking next to him. 

"Nolan Patrick." He said in a rush, nervousness still in his voice.

He watched as G smiled at him, and stuck out his hand.

"I'm Claude Giroux. The boys call me G but feel free to call me whatever you want." He said with an assuring smile.

Nolan's hand met Claude's, shaking it gently.

"Hey um is it okay if I call you Patty? I have a nickname for everybody here." Claude said, still smiling.

Nolan nodded, smiling a little.

"Alrighty."

Claude went silent then, and Nolan took this time to gather his thoughts.

He's beginning to feel less nervous, but he still doesn't know if he should trust him. Promises people made with him have been broken numerous times. Claude seems super nice, but he just doesn't know what to think. 

He just counted his steps and continued walking.

\----------

Nolan thought he had hypothermia by now, but they made it to Claude's apartment. It's gigantic compared to Joey's, and it had multiple bedrooms for Claude's gang to use. It's also very clean; the furniture doesn't look worn down or picked up from a dump, where Joey got his.

Claude seemed like he had a lot of money compared to a lot of other gangs, and that's something Nolan is somewhat grateful for.

He also picked up on the fact that the gang all had nice clothes; they weren't designer brands, but they were in good condition. Nolan felt messy now, but hopefully, that will change.

Maybe this is good.

His thoughts were interrupted with Claude telling him to sit on the couch, which all the guys were sitting around. He knows for a fact that they want to know about him and his story, so he swallowed his fear and sat down where Claude told him to. He sat next to Nolan, rather close actually, but Nolan liked it. His trust with Claude is growing.

"So. If you don't want to share anything that's fine, but can you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Claude asked him, his tone so  _ gentle _ .

Nolan felt his gut stir, but he nodded.

He cleared his throat and began.

"Well um, my name is Nolan Patrick, and I'm 19. I was born in Canada, but my family and I moved here when I was three." Nolan paused, trying not to get emotional from the memories he had with his family.

He took a deep breath and continued.

"Then um, when I was 11, they abandoned me. I woke up to my house with nobody in it. I didn't know what to do at the time, so I went out for days looking for them, which resulted in me living on the streets for a living. No food, nothing." Nolan paused again, wiping his eyes.

"I eventually got lost, and I didn't know my way back. I knocked on almost every single door in the neighborhood to see if they can help me, but they all refused." Nolan looked up to see all the guys shocked and gaping at him. He instantly looked back down and felt tears rolling down his cheeks.

His sniffles filled the room.

"Then um, about two months later, some gang, similar to you guys, found me and took me in. They helped me not worry so much, and they took care of me. I lived with them, I did everything with them. And then all of a sudden, eight years later, they abandoned me exactly like my parents did. They knew what I went through, and  _ promised _ me that they wouldn't do the same, even though they did." He took a deep, audible breath.

"So I was in the same shoes as my eleven-year-old self again. I slept in people's garages, backyards, and sometimes I had to break into people's houses to get food for survival. Then, you guys showed up." Nolan looked at everyone, who had sympathy written on their faces.

He looked back down.

"And I-I want to trust you guys, but I'm still broken. I'm hesitant with promises, but I'm hoping that will change." Nolan said, finishing his story.

He watched as all the guys sighed and looked at the ground. A few were crying a little, but not sobbing. He then looked at Claude, who was staring at the ground, his eyes glassy.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that man." One of the guys said, followed by a bunch of "yeahs" and "mhms" from everyone else.

Then Claude spoke.

"Look bud. You may be skeptical, but we're here to help you. You can have all the doubts you want; that's normal. But we'll always be here for you." he said, wrapping his arm around a crying Nolan.

All the boys nodded and agreed.

Nolan leaned into Claude's hold a little and smiled for the first time in over a month.

"Thank you all so much." He said, looking around at everyone and smiling, his eyesight still blurry from crying.

"That's what we're here for."

\----------

It's been a few hours since he told the gang his story, and he's feeling a bit better. He got it all off his chest, which felt amazing. He's also beginning to learn everyone's names and become friends with them, especially Travis, who gets called "TK" 99 percent of the time. Travis is two years older than Nolan, but he's super funny and nice. Claude told Nolan he can be super annoying, but he's been good so far.

His trust in these guys is growing even more.

He's feeling better.  _ Way  _ better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos mean the world!!


	3. feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy guacamole it's been a month sorry guys! school has really been killing me

It's been about a week and a half since Claude and the gang took Nolan under their wing, and Nolan feels like he has known these guys for years. He's becoming friends with all of them, and they all like him for who he is. It's fantastic.

And speaking of fantastic things, Nolan doesn't have to sleep on the floor; Claude said he could sleep in his bed. It sounds weird yeah, but there's enough space for both of them. Plus, every guy in the gang shares a bed with someone, and Claude does too now. It fits.

But there is a downside however; Nolan is beginning to develop the biggest damn crush on Claude. Every morning he wakes up to see Claude all sprawled out next to him, and it just makes his heart jump in his chest. Claude is older than him for sure, but he's fucking handsome. Sue him.

And this isn't just a tiny crush if that makes sense. It was at first, but ever since himself and Claude shared a bed, it makes Nolan go insane. He can feel his heart in his throat every time he makes eye contact with Claude. It's ridiculous.

So that's where he finds himself out front of the apartment complex with Travis, saying all of this.

"G? Really Patty?" Travis says, astonished.

Nolan rolls his eyes.

"I'm kidding dude, relax." He says, gently shoving Nolan. "Seriously though, if you like him that much, don't be afraid to tell him how you feel. He may look scary, but in reality, he's just one big teddy bear." Travis continued, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Nolan just nodded slowly, his brain merely processing what Travis just said.

"Alright? Pull him aside and tell me how it goes tomorrow." Travis says, stepping on his dead cigarette and getting up.

"Travis wait-"

Travis turns around, confused.

"I don't think I'm ready yet." He admits and watches as Travis sits back down, looking like he wants Nolan to continue, so Nolan does.

"It's just... I don't want him to take it the wrong way and kick me out-"

"Shut up," Travis interjects, grabbing Nolan's shoulders and turning him a little so he's now facing him.

Nolan looks at him, startled.

"G will never do any of that Patty. He is like a dad to us, and he always accepts us for who we are. His opinion of you won't change if you be honest with him." Travis says, seriousness in his voice.

"And look. I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do, but trust me, he'll accept it." Travis continues, his hands finally leaving Nolan's shoulders.

"Alright?" He says, standing up and offering Nolan his hand.

"Yeah," Nolan answers and takes his hand.

\----------

When they get back upstairs, half the guys weren't there.

"Where the hell is everybody?" Travis yelled out, sitting on the couch not long after.

"They went to a bar while you and Patty were makin' out." Jake teased, watching Travis roll his eyes and flip him off.

"We weren't making out thank you. I'm not even gay." Travis continued, taking a sip out of the beer bottle on the table.

"Mhm," Jake fired back, and Nolan watched as Travis began to tackle Jake for what he said.

It was just the three of them now, and Nolan thought it would be an okay time to collect his thoughts and think about this some more. He wants to tell Claude how he feels, but he's just scared. He trusts Travis, but he has large trust issues. He doesn't want to come out to Claude AND talk about his heavy feelings to him, just to end up getting shut down a third time. It's just a mess right now.

But his thoughts were interrupted when Claude and all the guys came through the apartment door, laughing about something that supposedly happened at the bar.

Seeing Claude laughing and smiling made Nolan's heart skyrocket in his chest. This is not going to be easy.

\--------

It was getting pretty late and the guys began to file out of the living room to their bedrooms every once in a while. James put some hunting shows on the TV that almost no one liked, but Claude did for some reason and stayed behind. Nolan didn't like it at all, but he planned to leave when Claude did and tell him all this then.

It felt like ages, but Claude finally got up and said goodnight to everyone, Nolan not that far behind.

He nervously sat on the bed and watched as Claude picked up some dirty laundry on the floor and got changed into sweats and an oversized t-shirt. He took a deep breath and wiped his sweaty hands on the bedsheet.

"Cl-"

"Oh my god, you should have seen the boys at the bar." Claude interrupted while knee-walking onto the bed, smiling as he spoke.

Nolan bit his tongue and listened, relaxing a little.

"Oh sorry I'll let you go," Claude said in a hurry, indicating Nolan can speak.

Fuck.

"Uh, um," Nolan began, stuttering. He looked up at Claude, who looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Uh, I,"

"You alright bud?" Claude said, showing concern.

"I like you, Claude," Nolan said in a hurry, feeling his heart jackrabbit in his chest. A major blush spread on his cheeks like wildfire as he sat in the silence of Claude taking this in.

"Like, like you like you," Nolan continued and god- why is he still talking. His eyes moved up on autopilot just to see Claude absolutely  _ still _ . 

"I-I'm sorry and you can hate me all you want, but I just wanted to get that off my chest and-"

"Nolan."

Nolan looked up and saw Claude looking at him, his eyes dark and a blush slightly visible on his face.

"I'm sorry-"

"Jesus kid hang on a second," Claude barked out, putting Nolan silent in an instant.

He fucked up. Claude is gonna be so fucking mad at him and kick him out of the gang. He  _ knows  _ it. He just knows it.

"Nolan." Claude then says, this time softer and less terrifying.

Nolan looks up, his heart still feeling like a hammer against his ribs.

"I feel the same way.  _ God _ , you don't understand how much shit you've put me through. Walking around in your high ass shorts and just looking like the way you do. I've been wanting you to say that the second I met you Nolan,  _ Christ _ ." Claude says, looking into Nolan's eyes the whole time.

Nolan is  _ starstruck _ . How did he not notice? His fucking crush feels the same way about him. How could that even be possible?

"Y-you really feel the same way?" Nolan said in a small voice, still trying to process that Claude likes him that way too.

"Nolan I mean, look at you. What's not to like?" Claude says, running a hand through his thick ginger hair.

"I-I don't-"

Claude grabs the front of Nolan's shirt and pulls him forward into his lap.

"Shut up and kiss me," Claude whispers against his lips, and Nolan does.

He rests his hand on the back of Claude's head and crashes their lips together in a soft, tender kiss. Claude wraps his arms around Nolan's back and he's sure he's going to  _ melt. _

And he's so deep into the kiss he doesn't even hear their bedroom door open.

"Atta boy G!" Travis yells and runs out before they can say anything.

"Hang on a second," Claude said while ending the kiss, getting up and chasing after Travis.

And Nolan just sat there, amazed at what happened. Travis was right. Not only did Claude accept it, he felt the same way. He already feels his life getting so much better.

_ So  _ much better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments make my heart so happy! <3

**Author's Note:**

> this chapter was a giant mess excuse me
> 
> anyway, chapter one of many! i've had this idea for a little while, and now i decided to share it in the form of a story with you all. i may not be posting new chapters constantly, but i'll try my best! highschool is a giant pain lol
> 
> feedback, comments, and kudos mean the world! <3


End file.
